Menlo’s 'Pick to Light Carts' improve order productivity

By Lexi Dupre |Monday, January 13, 2014

Menlo Worldwide Logistics announced last week they are implementing a new product-picking regime involving “Pick to Light Carts” developed by warehouse system integration specialist Inther Logistics Engineering.
Menlo’s Maastricht facility in the Netherlands is the first to use the system. Initial evaluation shows that with this system, there is an overall improvement in productivity of up to 20 percent, Menlo stated.
The configuration of the carts, which includes guidance lights on the reception bins which move from aisle to aisle, and product location display and confirmation buttons, allows operators to locate and secure product more quickly than more traditional picking methods. The new carts can accommodate 16 percent more orders and have a facility to carry larger, or irregular out-sized items, the company said.
“We have data that is already showing savings of two to three hours per day just on the picking list printing process, a further 30 minutes on manual order consolidation, and picking performance improvements of up to 50 percent,” stated Menlo’s functional IT consultant Michel Kil. “There is some additional time required for build and breakdown of the cart, but overall, we are experiencing consistent levels of between 15 and 20 percent increased productivity."